Fire team challenge increases proficiency, builds camaraderie

Photo By Sgt. Shawn Valosin | Marines with Transportation and Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group evacuate a simulated casualty during a fire team challenge at the Lejeune Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) town aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., Nov. 20, 2013. Service members had to treat and evacuate casualties while being timed and competing against other teams. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Shawn Valosin)
see less
| View Image Page

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

11.21.2013

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marines with Transportation and Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group participated in a fire team challenge at the Lejeune Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) town here Nov. 20.

Service members had to perform challenges at seven different stations and show proficiency in skills outside of their individual military occupational specialties.

“We have landing support, heavy equipment operators and motor transport Marines clearing rooms and doing other things that oftentimes they might think they don’t need to know, but that’s not the case,” said 1st Sgt. Joshua A. Peterson, the company first sergeant for T&S Company. “In a deployed environment is not the time to learn to operate their communications gear or anything else.”

Aside from room clearing, Marines had to treat and evacuate casualties, set and use a radio, find coordinates on a map and rig a Humvee for a helicopter support team.

Each fire team was timed and evaluated at every station. The Marines from the winning fire team received a 72-hour liberty period and meritorious masts. The company commander also awarded the winning fire team leader with a certificate of commendation.

“Exercises like this are very important because when you put Marines in competitive mode and put a little stress on them they’re going to learn the things they need to, and you’ll see how they perform under stress,” said Peterson.

Emphasis was also placed on trusting fellow Marines and the importance of camaraderie and brotherhood in the Marine Corps.

“A lot of Marines join for the brotherhood and camaraderie, but don’t really feel it when they just work in a shop and go home at the end of the day,” said Capt. Lee Stuckey, the commanding officer of T&S Company, CLB-2, 2nd MLG. “These Marines are getting to know each other so much better by working together [as a fire team] and having pressure put on them. It’s one great way we can show them we care about them, and at the end we get to reward them.”